In Guam, one out of four adults is a smoker, even though smoking remains the leading cause of preventable deaths and diseases in the United States. It kills about 480,000 Americans each year. For every person who dies from a smoking-related disease, about 30 more people suffer at least one serious illness from smoking. Nearly 70 percent of smokers say they want to quit.

We join the Department of Public Health and Social Services in encouraging Guam residents to quit smoking as part of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's new education awareness campaign.

• Thirty percent of cancer deaths, including 87 percent of lung cancer deaths, can be attributed to smoking.

• Smoking accounts for more than $193 billion in health care expenditures and productivity losses annually.

We urge smokers to take up the challenge to quit smoking. Don't be afraid to ask for help -- Public Health's Tobacco Prevention and Control Program, the American Cancer Society and other health organizations and agencies can provide the assistance you need to quit and get yourself healthier.